Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts

Saturday, October 4, 2014

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 4: Holding the Bag

Giants-Redskins on CBS. For guys my age, it's just right. I wonder how many time Simms will slip up and actually call them the Redskins. (Answer: One.) Cruz dropping passes again. That's easily a fumble. Cousins never saw that. This Larry Donnell has really stepped up so far. The Giants may have finally found a tight end again. Redskins kick coverage!


Cousins is getting chased out there right now. Cruz was pretty open there. The Redskins defense looks tired. Donnell again. And he beat Meriwether.


Good job by Cousins to wait until Roberts got open, which didn't take very long. Gotta catch those, rook. Oh, man, the Redskins had Jennings stopped on that 3rd and 1 but he just wasn't having it. LARRY DONNELL IS A GOLDEN GOD. Ouch. That was a vicious collision. And now they have to review it. Mike Carey says it'll be complete and down by contact. but that's not the most important thing.


That is ALSO a fumble. Dude just took it out of Paulsen's hands.

Cruz got out with one second left on the clock! Just think, if they'd done that in 2010 they'd have beaten the Eagles. This is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, David Robertson just greased his exit out of the Bronx by blowing this save. Although, Jeter will bat in the 9th now...

Now it's the Giants who can't cover receivers. Or running backs. This is gonna end up 44-40,  isn't it?


A Patrick Ramsey name drop. There's a guy who got screwed. So the Giants can't cover backs and the Redskins can't cover tight ends. Got it. Is that a good play by Prince or a bad play by Cousins? Probably somewhere in between. That's the second time in three weeks Jennings has put a touchdown on the turf. Whoa! Wait, what? Get down! Get back in the end zone! Now Eli thinks it's a touchdown and I have no idea why he thinks that but whatever. Hang on, he may be right. It's SO close that you can't overturn it. Also of note is Meriwether actually used his shoulder and hot his head to pop the ball out. Are they piping Mike Carey into FedEx Field or do the acoustics just suck? Wow. As Bill Parcells said, let's put away the anointing oils for Kirk Cousins. How did Randle catch that? The Redskins can't even cover the backup tight end.



Cousins threw ANOTHER interception?



And now their only good offensive lineman might be hurt. Who's the backup now? COLT McCOY?! Okay, Eli Manning just ran more than two yards for a touchdown. Seal the vault. Cousins is shellshocked.


There's still seven minutes left? My God. Thursday night games are awful. (Giants 45, Redskins 14)


Signal Finder: GB @ CHI, CAR @ BAL, BUF @ HOU (end), DET @ NYJ (end), TB@ PIT (end), PHI @ SF

Is LaDarius Webb ever gonna play again? That sack killed that entire drive. Amazing the Panthers got nothing out of that. Trent Green thinks Steve Smith is giving his old team the silent treatment. Let's see how long that lasts. The Panthers are pulling out running backs nobody's ever heard of. How about this sequence of events for them: Williams missed the last two games, but last week both Stewart and Tolbert got hurt and I think Tolbert's out for the year. Well, that was a thing that happened. The announcers think Smith broke off his route but I'm not sure why he'd just follow Daniels if that were the case. It looks like Daniels even sees him when he tips the ball, too. That may be an incompletion — did Benjamin have control? They're saying he didn't and I'm not sure I disagree. Harbaugh challenges and loses. Whoa! Newton has maybe a six-inch window on that 3rd-down pass to Cotchery. And now Williams is limping - oh boy. How is Justin Forsett, a super sized Darren Sproles, running through Panthers players? Not tackles, the actual players? Wait, did the Ravens just do the Browns' Manziel fake from last week and it worked? Tucker missed a 57-yarder left. Man, Flacco is cutting this Panthers defense to pieces. Benjamin's out of bounds here — no touchdown. Oh, wait, maybe not? This may be a control question again. Yeah, this is getting out of hand. (Ravens 38, Panthers 10)


Natalie Coughlin being a Raiders fan makes me irrationally sad. (Dolphins 38, Raiders 14)


Man, Burkhart was sure that flag was going against the Bears. And it... should have? FOX: puts up graphic detailing Bears' proclivity to throwing in the red zone. Bears: Run two straight running plays.
Dude on the Packers fell down? OK. That makes things easier for anyone. So how'd the other Rodgers get so wide open? Oh, right, Bears safeties. Lacy just drilled his way through that pile for the score.


Wait, was that on purpose? It sure wasn't. Cutler fumbled the snap, picked it back up and ran for about 15 more yards. Lynch pointing out that House, who fell on the Marshall touchdown, just fell down again. It's hard to throw a ball too high for these receivers, but Cutler just did it twice.
Packers got bailed out on that bad 3rd down run call. Cutler's struggling to pick up the ball for some reason. The Packers are the team with the rookie center... Forte's having a decent game so far, which the Bears will need later. A pass to Jeffrey off a fake reverse? SWANK. And he walked into the end zone. Onside kick? I certainly wouldn't have done that. And that's why — the Bears can't stop the Packers in the air. Clinton-Dix just stonewalled Bennett at the end zone! Wow! They got a goal line cam on the other side? I don't think Bennett made it. That other view won't change anything, either.



How did Rodgers last long enough in that pocket to get that pass off, let alone for a touchdown (that was ultimately called back)? Crosby barely made that one. Forte is going off right now. Oh no! Cutler shouldn't have thrown that one there. Another drive wasted. Cobb just dropped a touchdown. But Nelson didn't. The Bears are self-destructing now — another Cutler pick, then a penalty on Bostic (but what the hell for?) takes a Packers field goal off the board, and Cobb catches a touchdown on the very next play. I thought they'd win this game, in all honesty. This interception won't count. How have the Packers not scored on this drive yet? They've had the ball for, what, 10 minutes? And somehow, the Bears keep them off the board, which they could have used about five series ago. (Packers 38, Bears 17)

Sup, Bills-Texans! This is a game that can tilt the season for both teams. We missed JJ Watt running 79 yards with an interception for a touchdown for that debacle? They're trying a 55-yarder? Really? He made it! Then EJ Manuel comes back immediately and throws a bomb to Williams, who roasted his man and scored easily. I think Bullock Hulked Up before the 50-yarder. There was some contact on that last interception — I see why Woods is upset. (Texans 23, Bills 17)


Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Buccaneers' backup running back just threw a pass with 2:05 left and his team down by four. That's twice Glennon missed possible touchdowns, the second one going off Vincent' Jackson's hands. Really, Steelers? You fail to convert a first down that would have ended the game, then throw up a horrible punt? HUGE pass to get into the red zone by Glennon. TOUCHDOWN BUCCCANEERS. Jackson got that one.






(Buccaneers 24, Steelers 20)




That's a generous spot. But at the same time I'm not sure this is the time to use a challenge. I don't like challenging spots, as you know. Holy crap the Eagles got a sack and that's with the 49ers offensive line complete. BLOCKED PUNT TOUCHDOWN! Gore with a nice run. They called an illegal pick on the 49ers? That's odd. Aikman hates it. Now what's this one? Aikman suspects a makeup call but it actually was illegal contact. Twice in a row an Eagles defender has just missed Kaepernick. Well, they only got three. That's a win of some kind. Uh-oh. Boykin's down hurt in the end zone and Burton failed to stay out of it while downing the ball. That's the second time today the announcers have incorrectly predicted a penalty. It's amazing the Eagles already have three sacks against a far better offensive line than they faced last week. So Gore runs around for 10 seconds then decides to go downfield, Kaepernick gets rushed out of the pocket, sees he's completely uncovered, and throws up a lob across his body and across the field for a touchdown. Don't try that at home, kids. The Eagles keep ending up in 3rd down and long. Jenkins! Money well spent. He's making moves like Barry Sanders. Touchdown!



Neither offense has looked great so far. They almost got to that punt, too. Sproles!! This is nuts. And the facemask was on the 49ers so this will stand. It was on Sproles's helmet, even, right when he caught the punt. As usual, the 49ers aren't helping themselves with penalties. It's strange — this is the best offensive line the Eagles have faced so far and they've gotten more pressure today than any other time this season. McCoy missed a chance to cut upfield on that run. Nice sideline overhead grab by Boldin. So that deal with Cary Williams and Crabtree's helmet was the right call, or non-call, in this case. Even a field goal that sails cleanly through the uprights from 51 yards out gets affected somehow. That's not an interception. Cooper fumbled on a play that wouldn't have worked anyway — he had no chance of getting out of bounds before the clock ran out. Did Vernon Davis just have a back spasm? He grabbed his back right after that tackle. Now Peters is walking off. That ball popped right out of Ertz's hands and into Cox's. Another Eagles sack. You know it's bad when you're getting beat by Casey Matthews. ANOTHER sack? Oh, I don't know about that holding call on Cary. Johnson somehow stayed in the end zone there.


(Turns out the rule there is that if the receiver's already in the end zone, he just has to have possession. If he were a runner, it'd be the exact opposite, which, again, makes NO FREAKING SENSE.) How was there not a flag on Brooks for tackling Matthews? So the big Gore run sets up a field goal. What was Foles looking for there? The Eagles' best offensive player today has been Riley Cooper and he's dropped at least one touchdown pass.




McCoy is actively killing the Eagles at this point. Run straight ahead for ONCE. They took the penalty... why? Don't give them another shot to get a first down or more here. That didn't make any sense whatsoever. A second Brad Smith sighting? That Maclin catch is going to stand because there's not enough clear evidence to overturn.


I mean, I guess both things can be true. This would be one of the most bizarre Eagles wins in recent memory (non-Giants edition) if they pulled this out. Now what? I'd hope they thought McCoy or Sproles, who I don't think we've seen in a while, could get one yard here. Or sneak Foles. He's 6-6. Apparently not.




One more shot! But they keep moving backwards and that's a recipe for failure. If Chip's losing confidence in McCoy down there, that could be a huge problem. (49ers 26, Eagles 21)

When the Jaguars drafted Blake Bortles, I said on Facebook that it looks like they drafted Blaine Gabbert again. (Seriously, compare their scouting reports.) And I know it's only been one game, but in 28 starts, Gabbert had only one game as good as this one was. (Chargers 33, Jaguars 14)

We've got the Saints on the road versus Tony Romo in prime time. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.
Williams got straight-up pasted and still held on. Cowboys getting penalized here like they're the 49ers. Now Brees just took off for a first down. How was that nor fair catch interference? These defenses aren't what I would call "good." Touchdown Murray. The Saints are getting thrashed on all fronts. Williams drags a defender into the end zone and this is officially a massacre. Clearly, "the Saints on the road" is the larger factor right now. Stills! Colston just saved an interception and this drive. Why are they kicking the field goal? Good Lord. Murray AGAIN. This is ridiculous.


Yeah, that's a late hit. Weird, like Collinsworth said — it looked like Carter just figuratively blew a tire or something. Touchdown Saints and they might go for two here but probably won't. I'd have onside kicked, though — they haven't stopped the Cowboys all night. Did that punt hit the VIDEO BOARD? It did! And Al says that it should have led to a rekick which is why it matters. If Cadet hadn't had to come back for the ball there he'd have scored. Jimmy Graham is unguardable. Was Romo even touched on that sack? I don't like the Saints' decision to punt here. I REALLY don't like them running a fake punt here.



I'll keep saying it: the Saints can't stop anything. This is about when you'd normally expect Romo to throw a pick-six but it didn't happen this time. Dez! That should lock this up. Man, Jason Garrett's wife looks miserable. Hey, I think that was a fumble. (Cowboys 38, Saints 17)

We need more instrumental anthems. How about this crowd singing along. Bringing that kickoff out was a mistake. Charles has some running lanes early.


That didn't last long, and neither did this Patriots' drive. Nice catch, Bowe. Did Charles make it? I can't see any sign of the ball. That is Jason Kelce's brother, Travis, and I think Jason is actually faster than he is. That was too easy. This is the second straight September that Brady just hasn't been good. What was that foolishness on 4th and 2? They ran the punt team out then changed their minds? Just to get the Chiefs to burn a time out? Kelce just threw a Patriot down. Then Donnie Avery just broke a tackle attempt by the same guy (Logan Ryan, one of far too many Rutgers guys on one NFL roster). There's that Andy Reid clock management again. It looked like nobody knew what the play was. That didn't reach the end zone. Penalty? It's on the Patriots so there'll be another play. That ball didn't break the plane. So they'll get three and have completely dominated this half.





Ball's out! How the hell did the Patriots recover that? The Chiefs are just knocking the Patriots off the ball right now. Hali threw a lightning bolt at Brady on that strip fumble. This is starting to get out of hand. Did this even happen during the Revenge Road Tour of 2005 (the season Brady missed)? The Patriots looks completely overmatched, talent-wise, on both sides of the ball.




I'll come back to that. Nice throw, Tom. And nice route, Edelman. The Patriots were lucky to give up just another field goal. Hey, Brandon Lafell did something. Gruden nailed it with his line about Eagles fans scratching their heads that Andy's running the ball so much. Charles lost his balance and... was his knee down? Who's got the ball in the end zone? No one, then? OK. And the Chiefs score anyway. No one covered Kelce? That one's on Brady.




Garoppolo! That's some insult-to-injury business right there.

Turns out this was the Patriots' worst loss since that 2005 season. Let me pull this tweet up from May:




I mean, pundits love clowning on Scott Pioli, but he wouldn't have traded Richard Seymour without a replacement on hand. And it took them, what, four years to actually replace Seymour? (By the way, the Logan Mankins trade feels a lot like that one did at the time. Those who do not learn from history, etc.) How many defensive players in the second and third rounds have they missed on? Rasi-I Dowling. Terrence Wheatley. Brandon Spikes. Patrick Chung. Darius Butler. Are there more? Their best receivers are short and fragile. I mean, they mostly always have been but they were good players. Wes Welker's still better than anyone they have right now, for example. They spent big money on Danny Amendola last year only for him to get hurt (as usual) and for Julian Edelman to have the season he was supposed to have for about a million dollars. The big receivers they've drafted can't play for one reason or another. They've drafted more quarterbacks than offensive linemen in the first three rounds in the last four years.

If Bill Belichick gets the credit for three Super Bowl wins in four years, then he also has to get the blame for this.

(Chiefs 41, Patriots 14)

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 2, 2014

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: Side Out


What's up with describing Brandi Carlile as a "Local recording artist" like they plucked her off the street or something? That's a terrible punt.  That hit's late. Also it caught Harvin in the helmet and we won't see him again until 2016. Seriously, when did Mark Ingram stop sucking? Damn it, Graham, you couldn't have done that last week?




Wilson got rid of it too fast. Hauschka sneaked that one through. Fumble? Fumble! There'll be no overturning that. Touchdown! And Lynch doesn't care who's trying to bear down on him. That looks like a good burger. Where do I get that? So are the Seahawks covering Graham with a tank or something? Who is Josh Hill and why is he being targeted? The left tackle did a good job of protecting Brees there despite the incompletion. That's more like it.


I think all that hit to Harvin did was piss him off. We're seeing a lot more of Robinson since Ingram's fumble. Good play by Wagner to knock that 4th down pass down. Did Brees not see him? Seriously, Lynch is all, "Y'all remember me, right?" That's a dangerous lob — WHOA! Nice catch by Harvin, who's the smallest guy out here. Not a good red zone sequence for the Seahawks. This is the longest kickoff setup ever. The Seahawks haven't changed their game at all. This is two weeks in a row where Brees hasn't played well in the first half. Bradshaw thinks it's the gloves? That's the best pass Brees has thrown all day. Running on 3rd and 9? Okay. That replay they just showed — that should be a fumble. Seahawks should have challenged.


I guess that's why Josh Hill is being targeted. Touchdown Saints, though it took some grinding at the end there.Amazingly this is a one-score game despite how thoroughly dominant the Seahawks have been. They have beaten down this Saints offense, along with poor execution and bad penalties like the one that wiped out that Stills catch. Robert Meachem... I don't know if he's a true bust but he's never really lived up to his first-round draft position.  But that catch he made is how Auburn beat Georgia. Why are the Saints trying this field goal? I know it's 4th and 15 but 48 yards INTO the wind? See? Wasn't even close. The best coach on the Saints sideline today has been Rob Ryan, and that's a thought I never dreamed I'd have.



VINTAGE BEAST MODE. That should wrap this up. Damn, Thomas isn't even trying to play off what happened to him there. Lot of "Don't get fired!" going on in the FOX booth right now. Wait, hang on here. Something's cooking. That OPI on Moore may have sunk this. Or not. First they've got to get the onside kick before anyone can worry about the fact that there's only 30 seconds left. They... got it? THE HELL IS COLSTON DOING? That's a fireable offense.

(Seahawks 23, Saints 15)

I still struggle with the idea that Allie LAFORCE is her real name. I suspect it's not. Anyone? More rain? Luck should never have thrown that ball. That happens a lot. Edelman's making $1M this year and he had the season the Patriots paid Danny Amendola big money to have. Speaking of Amendola, halfway through the first and he's still healthy — check your pool sheets. Did that skip off the ground? I guess not. This Pats' reinvention as a running team was absolutely necessary given all the inexperience at receiver and the... problems at tight end. Hilton's limping off? That's bad. Whoa! The Colts needed that. Their receivers have elevated their games since Reggie Wayne went out but they may need more than they can give now.
Good job by the Colts getting a field goal there after that — could have been disastrous otherwise.


High snap! Wait, that's a safety, what are they even discussing here? Unless there's a claim of an incomplete pass? Zoltan would not have screwed this up, by the way. The thing the punter should do there is just try to boot it out of the end zone.


Meanwhile, Luck was, er, blessed that that one wasn't intercepted. And cursed that that one was. Wait, Gostkowski punted that? Did Belichick bench the regular punter, too? I mean, we've seen Stevan Ridley tonight for the first time in five weeks. Oh, the punter's holding his shoulder? Nice route and catch by Hilton, losing Talib in the process. Uh oh, here come the Colts again. That was an unfortunate fizzle out. Amendola! Wait, what? That's a worse call than the one that screwed the Browns.


"Holder-challenged." Wow! Luck beats the blitz twice and just like that it's a seven-point game again.


Another big-time punt from Gostkowski. Who knew? This could add five years to his career. Man, Blount is SLOW. Brady's holding? Has he ever held? Maybe in his rookie year? Bad decision, Luck. That was double coverage before Collins (who's been huge tonight) swooped in. Well, that's that. I mean, these aren't the Chiefs. Why are the Colts punting on 4th and 1? Even Dierdorf's questioning it. Blount was faster there than he was on the touchdown run.





Oh, it was Lundquist. And Dick Enberg before him, too. (I couldn't remember who Dierdorf's partners were before Gumbel.) I much preferred his CBS work to his time on Monday Night Football, for the record. (Patriots 43, Colts 22)




I also support more instrumental anthems in general. That guy's a semi-regular anthem player at Eagles home games. Dude's a beast. Hold up. They called that a late hit? That wasn't as late as the one on Harvin yesterday. Then Kaepernick was lucky the next pass wasn't picked off. A wide receiver pass by Boldin? What? Did the 49ers see something?


This is really unimaginative play calling by Carolina here. Why not throw it or send Cam on a bootleg? Ted Ginn Jr. was a top-10 overall draft pick and this is really the only thing he excels at. Still, way to flip the field. That throw though. Cam placed it perfectly in the middle of good coverage. That long pass to Olsen on the next drive looked like it was headed for trouble, too. You know who else doesn't slide is Newton. The problem right now is that the Panthers' backs haven't done much so far and Newton's their best runner. WHAT. Why is Brooks running his mouth after he jumped OVER THE PANTHERS' OFFENSIVE LINE? That was amazing and terrible.

I think I'd normally want Rivera to go for it but what does he call that can work given what just happened.


Great leaping catch by Crabtree. And he jumped into Florence to get that pass interference call but whatever. Did Davis get that back foot down? That's the question. It may not matter now because Harbaugh had a heart attack and cost his team 15 yards. Well they're reviewing it. Pereira thinks it'll be a touchdown and the penalty will be enforced on the kickoff. He's right.


Boldin just embarrassed Munnerlyn on that one. What was that? Florence just flat out missed Kaepernick. I think that's what Harbaugh meant by "cranking" the chippiness up. Of course, the danger is in pissing the Panthers off.


This drive is taking a long time for something that doesn't seem to be progressing.


That didn't end well. Huh, hadn't seen the 49ers take too long to call a play yet until now. That's a backbreaker run by Gore and I'm not sure a field goal doesn't bury the Panthers here. That's a big penalty. And that bad throw by Cam probably ends it. That personal foul on 22 definitely does. (49ers 23, Panthers 10)

Yeah, that's a facemask. Couldn't tell at first. Figures, first time the Chargers actually cover someone and they miss an interception. Wait, the Chargers have used two timeouts already? Is Jim Harbaugh coaching?


Some physical running here by the Broncos at the end of this drive. And that's a touchdown. I think Thomas might have been down there. But I'm not sure enough to be confident in a reversal. Well, I've been wrong before. Rivers got crushed on that sack, which probably puts them Chargers in that no man's land where they might as well go for it. That kick never had a chance. Novak slipped? Seriously, the Broncos are really wearing the Chargers out with the run here. Another touchdown pass. How did Decker not break that punt return? Looks like the punter slipped chasing him down, too.


(I will refrain from making the Manti Te'o joke that eight million people have already made.) Can we get a dryer on that field? NICE pick by Butler in the end zone to kill the drive — that went off Decker's chest (and the coverage was good so he might not have caught it cleanly anyway).


Hey, Holliday's back and he almost broke that one. The Chargers are short on answers here. Man, Prater cut that CLOSE. I think the goalposts work the same way as the plane of the goal line where it just goes on forever. Hey, an Antonio Gates sighting. Hell, a Chargers FORWARD PASS sighting. I can count the number of things that have gone right for the Chargers on one hand. At least Scifres, their punter, is back. Good on the Chargers getting those run stops. Whoa, Prater doesn't miss but could you kind of see that coming the way his last attempt went?


The Punt, Pass and Kick kids are always a highlight. Cue the "Well, they switched to the no-huddle and it started working, so why didn't they do it sooner?" discussion. It's also interesting that Woodhead is the running back now, since he's the best pass catcher of the Chargers' backs and they've gotten nothing from Mathews. At least they won't get shut out. Wait, what's going on?


Man, Rivers is STAYING mad. And I can't blame him. Welker tripped and fell; that shouldn't be a flag on anybody. By the way, this is the guy who picked up the flag for no good reason at the end of Pats-Panthers, so. When's the last time a quarterback in this game lined up under center? Three straight Moreno runs and it's back to a 17-point lead. THAT was quick. Onside kick? Novak is working that tee like they're gonna do something. Chargers recover! Decker had it and let it get away from him. It is the Keenan Allen show out here now. Um... hang on here. Novak just kicked a field goal. They can't try another onside kick here, right? The probability of two in a row working isn't even on the board in Vegas, right? OK, they're kicking it deep. Smart. Good Lord. That coverage was so blown it was blown twice.

That Moreno run will sew this up.


(Broncos 24, Chargers 17)

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: Kinetic Slide

Uh-oh. Jamaal Charles is already walking off the field? That's potentially awful. Smith got chased on that 2nd and goal pass and it could have been disastrous. Bowe just got across the line. They're gonna wear Luck's arm out at this rate. It's all Hilton, all the time right now. That didn't take long. I don't know if the Chiefs kick this field goal if Charles is healthy. Then again. who knows what Andy'll ever do down here. The Colts have too many Boston College guys to be taken seriously. (Same for the Patriots and Rutgers, which I've discussed before.) So Donnie Avery outran everyone. That's two long pass plays so far. FUMBLE. Poor Trent Richardson, who's throwing up in his mouth on the sideline. (Not literally.)

SHOVEL PASS. Dump that "Song #2" remix ASAP, NBC DJ. The Colts really need Hilton to not be hurt badly if they want a shot to come back from this. Luck in the shotgun on 4th and inches? NICE. Slide! There he is. Man, somebody catch something. Andy's screen game has always been on point. Mayock's convinced the Colts' corners Davis and Toler are still hurt. He won't stop talking about it. I mean, he may be right — Toler's already left the game — but simmer down already. 31-10? That's a final. Who says the Chiefs can't score? Hilton tripped himself out of at least 10 more yards. Where was Luck going with that pass? Double coverage? That was the slowest non-fat guy return ever.

Oh, boy, that's another bad pass by Luck. Touchdown! This may officially be out of hand. Whoa! Nice catch by Rogers. Was Brown even touched? Fumble! Wait, hang on, that's pretty close to the sideline... did he have it? Yeah, I can't overturn that. Big break for the Colts.
Mentioned because Pagano appears to have Belichicked him. Here we go... this is the other thing that Luck does a lot of. These anonymous non-Hilton receivers are playing much better this half. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are running out of players. Good stop by the Colts defense after that touchdown. Uh-oh. Bad throw and everything, but it was in Hilton's hands and he couldn't hold on to it.The worst part of all of these Colt turnovers is that the Chiefs keep scoring points afterwards. Lots of big gains on this drive. That touchdown to Fleener was a bullet. There is plenty of time left in this game.


Dude's catching passes all over the place. I think this happened in their first meeting, too; just not to this destructive extent. Way to jinx Donald Brown's fumbling, Hicks. Wait, Luck did WHAT?!?!


How does no one see him? Or get to him before he crosses the goal line? The ball went backwards. Anything's possible at this point. The Chiefs are down to their third-string running back. Why are they calling time outs? That was puzzling. All that and now they're only up six with five-plus minutes left. OH MY GOD.
You know what the Chiefs could use is a couple of time outs. GROUNDING. A timeout AFTER THE TWO MINUTE WARNING? SERIOUSLY?

That was ridiculous. In every way possible. (Colts 45, Chiefs 44)

All right... let's do this.

You don't see Brees short hop a throw that often. Debris on the field? What is this, a NASCAR race? Oh, crap, did the Eagles jump on 4th and 2? NO! Spectacular. A couple of Brees' throws have been off already. Who kicked that into the end zone? CUT HIM.


OOPS. Interception! That ball kind of died up there and Stills couldn't adjust. Hey, McCoy gained yards on a carry. That hadn't happened yet. The fans are booing, which probably means the field goal team is out. Oh, it's a Saints injury that they're not buying. Bad move if it IS a fake, though — they're just giving Chip more time to decide what he wants to do. And McCoy got it anyway. Then Foles takes a bad sack and wastes the effort.

Then Henery misses a field goal that should have been 20 yards shorter than it was. Possible turnover here? He MIGHT be down. It's close. The other thing is, if he's ruled down (reversing the call), he's also short of the first down. Yep, they overturned it. Another false start? Wow. I didn't see him move on the replay. So six minutes into the second quarter and we have our first points.


I think Brees is the Saints' leading rusher so far. ANOTHER interception! They're not booing; they're saying "Coop." "American Bandstand"? Really? I think the DJ emptied his "Philadelphia" folder two weeks ago. Uh-oh, Foles is holding the ball again. Touchdown! Thank God Cooper got open.


That hold Brees begged for and got on Cox was the latest flag ever. Like, 2002 NCAA national title game late. I mean, it probably was a hold, but it's disingenuous as hell. That time the three-man rush worked. Moore on the touchdown was the first Saint tonight to get away from a defender after the catch. Cooper may have just dropped another touchdown, which hasn't happened very often this season. That's the first time Colston's seen the ball tonight and it won't count. Ingram's running like his job is at stake, and it kind of is. Did he get in? He did — you can tell from the other side. At least the Flyers just went ahead? And the Sixers are leading the Blazers by the same score IN PORTLAND. What's weird about the way this is playing out is that the Eagles' run defense was actually almost good this year. DeSean! Finally! Also he was held twice but whatever.


Touchdown McCoy. MOTOWNPHILLY. YES.

Good punt return by DeSean. Now it's the Eagles who are abusing this kid #38. And really, for a good #38 in the NFL you probably have to go all the way back to George Rogers. Oh boy. Now what? Fourth and 1 from the opponent's 6 in a six-point playoff game in the fourth quarter... I don't like kicking the field goal here. There's a false start on the field goal attempt, which pretty much settles that decision. I expect Patrick Chung to be plying his trade elsewhere next season. At least the Saints only got three out of it.


That's a BIG pass interference penalty. TOUCHDOWN. Either Jackson or Ertz was getting that one.


Horse collar on top of a big return by Sproles? Not good. It's weird having the Saints be in a position of having to prove something but here we are. Where'd this Robinson guy come from? Damn it. The worst part is the Saints are almost too far away from the end zone for the Eagles to just let them score. Think about this, Saints. Do you REALLY want to go back to Seattle? THINK ABOUT THIS.

And that's that. Well, that was fun while it lasted. (Saints 26, Eagles 24)

What, they couldn't get Ken Anderson to do the game intro with Fouts? I mean, I know Boomer's on staff but he wasn't in that game. (Was he even in college yet?) So this Green kid on the Chargers is their other tight end, yet I don't think he ever lines up as one. This drive feels like someone's picking at a scab, which would make the Wood head touchdown drawing blood. Wow, Dalton missed Bernard badly on that one.


Obligatory chili montage. And Rivers misses Allen badly to counter.

Dalton almost got plastered on that touchdown pass, and Gresham almost didn't catch it. I should mention at some point that the Chargers have lost their starting center, which makes this about the 5,791st offensive line combination they've used this season. And King Dunlap had a really good year, which is stunning to me. Really, McCoy? That's the kind of low-reward, doomed-to-fail challenge that Marvin usually pulls.

Nice catch on the sideline by Jones again. Nooooo Gio! Wait, was he down? Oh, OK, he definitely wasn't — I'm asking the wrong question. Yeah, turning and taking two steps is a football move. Hey, they got it right! Good job, sirs. Fans are booing and the clock's running. Oh, he didn't go forward? That's a rule? I did not know that. Why are they reviewing the catch? This actually benefits the Bengals because it stops the clock, and even more if it's an incomplete pass because they should get those eight seconds or whatever back. So it's a catch.

So the spike DOESN'T COUNT? Now they have to kick this, like, immediately. Is Shannon Sharpe wearing purple velvet? Punting at midfield isn't appreciably better, Bengals. The Chargers are walking down this field and now they have the lead back. Dumb dive, Dalton, whether this is a fumble or not. I mean, that's WHY you slide, so nothing can happen to you. It's a fumble, and he would have been short of the first down even if it hadn't been. Like I said, dumb dive. Hey, it's raining. The blitz caused that interception. Wait, James Harrison just committed a needlessly stupid and dangerous penalty? That's never happened before. That's a semi-critical stop by Maualuga. I say semi-critical because the Bengals' offense has done absolutely nothing this half. I mean, A.J. Green has three catches.
More field goals! Oh. That's just a bad everything by Dalton.




Wow. Green had double coverage beaten and still couldn't hang on. That's the way things have gone for the Bengals today. And the fourth down throw goes five yards over the receiver's head. Shut it down. What, again? I mean, make it stop. We don't need to play these last five minutes. The Bengals aren't coming back. You know who's even more pissed right now? Steelers fans. I meant to mention this earlier but I'm a but surprised Ronnie Brown's gotten so much run in this game. Did Mathews get hurt and I missed it?


(Chargers 27, Bengals 10)


Good Lord, this field looks like a farm yard. I'm looking for feeding troughs and chicken coops. Someone got crossed up on that failed 3rd down. They're going for it? Yeah, I guess they have to — 4th and 6 from the opposing 40 is no man's land. What the... seriously? Harbaugh burns timeouts like he's the brother who coached under Andy Reid for six years. Does Kaepernick always roll left? Even on run plays? Man, Shields and Neal are already out for Green Bay. The Packers have attempted one pass so far. Kaepernick screwed that one up. And why throw in Williams' direction, anyway? They'd done so well picking on House.

And from the air, the field looks like a dirt race track. Daniel Snyder sees nothing wrong with this.


Hey, the Packers are throwing the ball now! About time, McCarthy. And Rodgers finishes it off with an actual frozen rope to Nelson. There's the big Kaepernick run that the Packers always give up. Gore lives up to his name. Buck called that Eric Reid interception like he knew it was coming back. It feels like the Packers haven't stopped throwing once they finally started. They have been mixing in the run, but it doesn't feel like they have. They may as well just run a play on third down here with the clock running. Just not THAT one. And didn't they have a time out left? Well, they got three out of it. We are seeing some historically bad timeout management and the second half just started. That was all quite ineffective. Another one? Andy Reid is shaking his head.


Other than that, this third quarter has been pretty much a non-event except for Brent Celek's little brother catching a pass and Rodgers getting sacked twice in a row. The Packers are really working the run game on this drive. WOW. How did the 49ers let Rodgers get away there? And a Kuhn run seals it. He doesn't make his money with his hops, I'll tell you that much. Attacking House was bound to yield a flag at some point. Now he's hurt?


Nice spin by Davis to catch that. Both of these guys can bring serious velocity on their throws. Getting Rodgers back these last two weeks has done so much for the Packers' offense and that's obvious, but getting Cobb back at the same time really does add another layer. That probably should have been a touchdown.


Every big run Kaepernick's had today — and against the Packers in general — has been to the left side, whether Clay's been there or not. (And it's telling that I'm only now mentioning that Clay Matthews hasn't played today.)

This ending feels... familiar. (49ers 23, Packers 20)


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Friday, December 27, 2013

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 14: White Magic

Look, people. I blew off Redskins-Vikings, a game with a division rival in it. You think I'm touching this horror show with a 10-foot pole? Although this was pretty good:

The only way the Jaguars will ever live that down is to win eight Super Bowls. In a row. (Jaguars 27, Texans 20)

Signal Finder: DET @ PHI, TEN @ DEN, MIN @ BAL (end), NYG @ SD


This wasn't there this morning. It started at about 11:30 and just ESCALATED.


Burkhart: "I think that's Chip Kelly, but to be honest, I have no idea." These announcers are utterly lost. I suddenly don't foresee a lot of points being scored in this... would this be a morass? I feel like a morass would be muddier so I'll go with sludge. The Lions have already fumbled twice but the ball's not moving on the ground in this snow. Now we can see the yard line numbers because LASERS.

That's three times. That delay of game was a bad break for the Eagles. That's FOUR. And the law of averages activates! How is this getting overturned? How is ANYTHING getting overturned? That's a big-time punt. Might want to double Megatron. ANOTHER lost fumble? And the interceptionless streak ends and that was a BAD one. What happened there? Looks like it just got away from Foles. We're not going to see any field goals, are we? In fact, that touchdown may be the only points we see today. They're going for two? Wow. How'd he catch that?
Now Foles is coughing it up. Hey, a completed pass. Hey, another one! Polk! They're going on 4th and 7?
Good job, Molly McGrath. I don't know what you do. There haven't been any holes up the middle. Suh and Fairley are just too good. Well, that's that. Time to start rooting for the Bears tomorrow night. I mean... did it never snow at Autzen? Or in the Washington stadiums? Not sure how Cooper pulled that one in. Jackson! That was pretty good.


Good stop. McCoy! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED. Who had the coverage units collapsing? And the Lions' extra point gets blocked. That's... not going to make any difference. SHADY!!! And now the Eagles are lining up for two. Got it. Calvin making that diving catch would not have surprised me. What... what happened? Seriously, all of a sudden a switch was flipped and this game got good, and I'm not just talking about how the Eagles are suddenly running all over the Lions. "We can't see the goal line." IMPORTANT. Not even thinking about kicking it. Sneak! Still not even thinking about kicking it (and I might have). More bad kick coverage. That PAT attempt... was expected.

Joique Bell elevating? ANOTHER FUMBLE. It's amazing McCoy can make moves like that in these conditions. Chris Polk again?  The Packers fans joining this game now cannot begin to imagine what's transpired. Celek is SAFE! Pulled a Westbrook. Fantastic. Good job, Chip. (Eagles 34, Lions 20)


Oh  my god, the tackling on that go-ahead touchdown by Clay was pathetic. Wait, WHAT happened?
Game of inches, friends. (Dolphins 34, Steelers 28)

This is exactly why I hate the squib/pooch kick, by the way. PATTERSON! Remember who wore that number last, too.
Does anyone want the second AFC wild card? That pass interference call could be big. WHAT? Oh, we're gonna have to look at this but it might be good. That's a touchdown!



I'm pretty sure the last two minutes of this game broke the Red Zone channel. And if it didn't, nothing will. Also, there's this:
(Ravens 29, Vikings 26)

I can't keep up with these finishes. Let's rewind a bit and note that Brady played the first half like it was September again. T.J. Ward just ended the Patriots' Super Bowl hopes — they can't score enough points without Gronkowski. Heck, they can't score enough points today. This would be the greatest victory in the history of Browns 2.0 if this holds. Of course, that's a rather massive "if". Then the Patriots recovered the onside kick, because of course they did. That's... I don't know about that one, either.
Oh, God. What did Cleveland ever do to You? (Patriots 27, Browns 26)

Welcome back, John Fox. Man, Champ has barely played this year. And the Broncos have missed him the most, as you see there.But here come the Broncos like nothing's wrong. Whoa, the Broncos went for it on 4th and 1 from the 8? Who are you, and what have you done with John Fox? Covering the kickoff afterwards would help. And Chris Johnson makes it look easy. They ruled Decker down at the 2? I'd have put him at the 1. This is not a catch. And apparently that wasn't a touchdown either. Ah, there's the Fox we know and love — punting on 4th and 3 from the Titans' 40. Chris Johnson can still play, you guys. The Titans are pretty much handling the Broncos right now, which is surprising. Whoa, spoke too soon. Nice catch, Julius Thomas. Did Pollard just knock out Welker? Oh, it was 21, not 31.I was beginning to think the Pollard vs. Patriots thing was transitive. Prater's going for 64? JESUS. Showing the Dempsey highlight, he wouldn't have made that from that spot today — the goal posts were still on the end line back then. Knowshon Moreno's career rebound should give hope to Trent Richardson. Man, this Broncos secondary is struggling. They've turned this into an unexpected shootout, though Kendall Wright is having a breakout season. It's starting to get away from the Titans now. And there it went. (Broncos 51, Titans 28)


Wow, this is a demotion for the Albert/Moose/Goose crew. Eli is getting booed something fierce. That's Philly-esque. Good job, guys. Nicks needs to get back in the huddle and score a damn touchdown. Dude's sucked all year long. And then a tip leads to another Eli pick. Keenan Allen has been very good this season. I'm not sure that's reversible. They're STILL booing Eli. This is on that "Vince Carter in Toronto" tip except Eli never actually played for the Chargers. Also, screw you, Fox, for subjecting me to this gar-bahge. Offside on a missed field goal? There's your 2013 New York Football Giants, friends. Of COURSE Novak makes the second one. I don't know if I've said this yet, but the Giants stink. Pretty much all of them. It's not even halftime yet and this game may already be over. Coughlin to Goose: "This is not the same team we were last week." You lost last week, too! Wait, the Giants FORCED a turnover? What's up with Rivers? They're talking like he may have injured something but I can't tell what or how. Hillis took a week to get through that pile. Is it me or has Ryan Mathews actually been healthy all season? The Giants are trying to stay in this game. Professional pride, I'd imagine. Nicks catching that deflection is the greatest thing he's done all year. And Eli gets picked off again. They reversed it? Huh. Coughlin's all, "Please. Give me something." Only you can help you now, sir. (Chargers 37, Giants 14)


Corey Smith wearing the knit cap indoors. OK.I wonder how much material Steve Smith's saved up over the years to use tonight. Ginn just got facemasked by the PUNTER.


This drive by the Panthers seems too deliberate, especially with this field position.


Colston! Yeah, put your hands down, that's interference. Another flag? Wow the Saints offensive line does hold a lot. That one'll count. Is it just me or have the Panthers not taken a single shot downfield tonight? Prediction: This third Colston touchdown won't stand. Called it. Stunned the Saints didn't go for it on 4th down there. There's a deep ball — and Cam overthrows Olsen by 10 yards. I mean, I haven't heard Steve Smith's name at all tonight. There it is after he misses that one. Wow, he got clocked by Hawthorne. 50,000 yards! The Saints are just a different beast in this joint. Let's do this again in two weeks only better. (Panthers 31, Saints 13)

The classic Bears defense is mostly a rumor at this point. I mean, ESPN just showed someone named Benny Cunningham put up 107 on them. See it's like that.


I wouldn't kick to Hester at all tonight. Let's point out that there are actually two terrible defenses in this building tonight. The Cowboys do that a lot — have two or three guys standing around an open receiver but no one moves to cover him. Blitz! I was not expecting a stop. Is Alshon Jeffrey already the best wide receiver Steve Spurrier's ever coached? I mean, right now he's ahead of Sidney Rice and probably only behind Ike Hilliard. Seriously, what's going to happen to Jay Cutler? Not the greatest throw by McCown. AIR JOSH! He doesn't need to be doing that, though. This could be a total see-saw game. The WATER BOTTLES froze? Wow. That was pretty ridiculous. At least the weather's not so bad that these guys can still kick extra points. Wait, what actually happened to Dez? Oh, he landed on the ball. WHAT. There's no way Jeffrey stayed inbounds. Holy cow. He did. 100 touchdowns in one weekend! (For everyone, not just Jeffrey. That'd be, like, a record or something.) Forte just ran through someone. LOL at Tirico: "Terrific tackling!" Who'd he get? Oooh, Brandon Carr. And now Carr costs his team an interception with a blatant hold on a pass McCown shouldn't have thrown. Just think: He's their BEST defensive back. McCown's getting cocky now. And now Sean Lee's hurt again. The Bears are making this look easy now. Mostly because it is.


Why is the fourth quarter JUST starting? This is madness. Why are the Cowboys still running the ball down 28? Because it's working, I guess. And here comes the "Cutler's future in Chicago" questions. I don't think what McCown's doing right now is sustainable, plus he's 34 and not a long-term solution, and the Bears have a ton of other needs, especially on defense. Hey, it's Kyle Orton.


Speaking of McCown: He did this tonight. What happens if Aaron Rodgers comes back next week? (Bears 45, Cowboys 28)

RANKINGS
TOP 4:
1. Denver (11-2) — The machine regains its co-pilot
2. Seattle (11-2) — Rivalry games, man
3. New England (10-3) — Definitely getting lucky again
4. New Orleans (10-3) — Strong statement

BOTTOM 4:
29. Washington (3-10) — Simply embarrassing
30. Minnesota (3-9-1) — A rough ending
31. Atlanta (3-10) — Still fighting, but...
32. Houston (2-11) — And with that, Gary Kubiak was fired

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 6: Tripping Fantastic Lights


Told you. 0-6. I can't find four wins on that remaining schedule. crosses off Giants (Bears 27, Giants 21)

Signal Finder: PHI @ TB, GB @ BAL (end), TEN @ SEA, NO @ NE

Wow. Stay classy, Texans fans. (Rams 38, Texans 13)


That was a mistake. SCREEN PASS. McCoy was unlucky to get tripped up. FOLES QUARTERBACK DRAW. That was entirely too easy. Who says Foles can't run?  Wait, what happened? Yeah, that's gonna hold up. Disappointing. Wait, they're looking at something else?


So fumble, but no points. That's... less bad because the Bucs' so-called offense has to go back onto the field. (They're also missing their No. 2 receiver.) Now it's resistible force vs. movable object. Where's the punt coverage? Why are the Bucs going tackle-eligible here? Well that's discouraging. Right over the middle, too, of course, because the Eagles' secondary is terrible.



Can we get somebody else returning kickoffs? Anyone? I'll do it. (No, I won't.) So many screens and they're working. Why is Jeff Maehl happening? Well, DeSean won that one. Cary Williams is mad about something. Probably a penalty he committed but insists he didn't. Oh, it wasn't on him? I'm genuinely shocked. The heck? Mike Glennon is Michael Vick? That shouldn't happen. The defensive line got gashed on that Martin run. Nobody's beating 6-5 Vincent Jackson to that ball. This sequence to end the half was... weird. Whoa, a pick! I feel like Bradley Fletcher's the best guy in the Eagles' secondary because he never gets mentioned during games. How do you let Riley Cooper run past you? Oh, that's how. Regardless!


He'll fight every doctor in here. Also, I thought this Bucs defense was supposed to be borderline great. They've looked pretty average today, as evidenced by a defensive back allowing RILEY COOPER TO RUN RIGHT PAST HIM. That's a clutch punt. I'm not sure how much you can really learn about Glennon's potential from this game — the Eagles have no pass rush and no back-end coverage. The Bucs have had penalties wipe out more than a couple of big plays — furthering my theory that they'll blow it at the end if it's close. I should mention now that the Eagles have made this Tim Wright character look like Kellen Winslow in his prime. This drive started at Tampa's 1-YARD LINE. Unlucky for Wright to not catch that — he's caught everything else. Somehow that field goal is a moral defeat for both sides. Look at Cooper outrunning more people again. DeSean!!


Now let's get a stop. Hey, a sack. Whoever's coaching the Buccaneers next year should lobby the front office to trade for Foles. Now what? Are they trying to draw the Bucs off? This might work, as undisciplined as they are. It worked! Also, voting for Sign of the Year is officially closed:



There's no strength of schedule in the pros. (Eagles 31, Buccaneers 20)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close: Bengals 27, Bills 24, OT

See, this is strange. Normally we don't get the late CBS game if the Eagles are playing early on the road. Ryan Fitzpatrick showing why he's the backup again. That's twice now that the Seahawks have gotten zero help from the goal line on punt coverage. Speaking of things that repeat themselves, Fitzpatrick's gotten lucky twice on this drive to not get intercepted. Oh man... and it was the same guy both times. The punter dropped the ball? What? The Seahawks should get at least three out of this now. Apparently the Seahawks' kicker got hurt making a tackle on the kickoff after the touchdown and the punter's warming up now. Bad hold. WHAT?! TOUCHDOWN? Oh my goodness. Dierdorf's explaining that Ryan (kicking because of the kicker's injury) is normally the holder and somebody wearing No. 42 is now holding. This is actually a good argument for using the backup quarterback as the holder so this situation can never present itself. (Though Jay Novacek, a tight end, held for the Cowboys for years, for some reason.) I can't tell if he's down or not.



I can't overturn this, and the refs can't either. Is Sidney Rice still on this team? Oh, there he is, apparently fumbling. The following things went wrong there: All of them. And the Seahawks almost fumble away another one. What's going on up there? Feels like Wilson never passes when he's under center. Is this wise? Does Hauschka have all of his faculties? Well, he made it so I guess he's OK. HOLY CRAP. You should NEVER throw that pass but Lynch was all by himself. There's another fumble! FALL ON IT OH MY GOD. Dude on the Titans tried to scoop it and flipped it right back to Wilson. This game has been insane (-ly sloppy). Fitzpatrick throws another interception. Who thought Titans fans would miss Jake Locker? (who was actually having a good year before he got hurt.) Nice work, Sidney. And there's a score from Lynch. More craziness on this fumble/incomplete pass. Kudos to Kendall Wright for not taking any chances there, and also to Carroll for challenging it. And Carroll gets it reversed. A field goal? Really? You're on the road, down 10 and it's your first time in the red zone? (Seahawks 20, Titans 13)

What the hell, Edelman? Way to telegraph it, first of all, and then to throw it while you're being surrounded? Belichick's losing it.


Also someone tell him this isn't the old Saints defense. Think Brady saw that pass to Watson and sighed wistfully? Touchdown. Ridley's playing? Doesn't he have bad ribs or something? Why yes, he is on my fantasy team's bench. Why do you ask? The rusher on the Lofton sack of Brady wasn't the guy who got him. That drop by Amendola was on a low throw on the run. Meanwhile, the Patriots are covering Jimmy Graham with a cornerback (Aqib Talib) and it's working. Which begs the question: what's Colston's excuse? He's been shut out. That said, you can't keep going three and out against the Saints. Let's just say it: Brady hasn't been all that impressive this year so far. Hey there's Colston finally. Was that a helmet hit on Amendola? Sure looked like it.
Can we take a minute to look at who has scored touchdowns for the Saints in this game? The first guy's name is Travaris Cadet, which has to be made up. Brees make about eight mini-pump fakes before that pick. Oh, he signaled for a time out? And Graham's limping? None of that made any sense.The Patriots will regret not getting a touchdown there. See? And now they're going to tack on three more. Bad, BAD throw by Brady on that deep ball and that might do it. Why would you ever roll out Brees? I mean EVER? Austin Collie's still alive? Saw just before that that Brady just passed Vinny Testaverde for eighth all-time in passing yards, which is also Belichick's fault. Are you kidding me with that throw? Unbelievable.



THERE'S the Rob Ryan defense we know and love. Tom Brady is a wizard. And I say that at least partially because he dresses like one after games. (Patriots 30, Saints 27)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close II: In my own head, I predicted a pick-six... just not for the Jaguars. I mean, they're within two and we've had our first MJD sighting of the year. Well fought, grand Floridians. (Broncos 35, Jaguars 19).


Nice leisurely jog down the field by the Cowboys to open up. Hey, nice run by Griffin. Let's point out that the Cowboys' defense isn't good either. I mean, Orlando Scandrick is starting. That's really all you need to know.Tip drill interception! Griffin seems to have his running legs somewhat back. Did the Cowboys really give somebody No. 21? And where is Murray, anyway? Hurt again, I'd assume. Why is Collinsworth using "DeAngelo Hall" and "good cornerback" in the same thought? Bad throw by Romo and he's lucky it apparently hit the ground. Ware's walking to the locker room? That's awful for the Cowboys. This punt return, however, is not. THAT'S A PENALTY? I don't know what's more unbelievable; that that is in the rulebook as being against the rules or that it was actually called.


Shanahan's 2-minute offense looks like Mike Holmgren's. They got a drummer up on the platform with the dancing girls? Best nightclub EVER. Dwayne Harris is good at kick returns. Wow, Terrence Williams has actually looked NFL caliber these past two weeks. Except he's out of bounds. Wait, that stood up? Griffin ran around for about a minute before that fumble and the Redskins were lucky they got it back. And as well as he's moved around tonight, he's missed badly on more than a few passes. You know who's been awful this year is Morris Claiborne. Free play! Touchdown! Good timing after Al and Cris talking about how the Redskins haven't run the ball well tonight. Nice kick. #sarcasm The Cowboys are gonna have to go back to a 3-4 if they keep losing defensive linemen like this. Fumble? You laugh at Al's Randy White reference; that dude's three phone calls away. This is like an eighth-effort push and I think he finally got in. Yep. Got a nice push from the center. The Redskins should probably consider throwing down the field. I meant TO RECEIVERS. Oh, Moss fell down. Never mind then. Still, that's probably the end of that. (Cowboys 31, Redskins 16)


NO BANNERS FOR YARDAGE. CHICANERY! A touchdown after that would have been preferable. Te'o! Ryan Mathews' other problem is he can't stay on the field. Dude's as fragile as DeMarco Murray and probably getting paid three times as much. Nice throw, Rivers. Seriously.



Richardson fought his way out of that tackle pretty well. Woodhead! I think Brady misses him, too. Forgive my transgressions; there's playoff baseball on. Luck ran the two-minute drill and got them into field goal range? This is why the Chargers are 2-3. Danny Woodhead is much faster than Pat Angerer. When did King Dunlap stop sucking? I'm pretty sure that aside from Keenan Allen's touchdown, Woodhead has the longest pass play of the night. Nope, there's one to somebody named Green for 25. Another field goal? I mean there's time but still.

Lot of drops tonight, it seems. Gotta go for this, right? Gruden: "You gotta punt it." What? Eh. Here's the thing: "What's wrong with Rivers?" the last three years has been Norv Turner and a front office that couldn't draft and/or keep good players. Did Mathews just run out of bounds? Did Gates make this? It's going to be real close. So because the play started before the two-minute warning, the Chargers are challenging this spot. Aaaand it's short. They should just go for this. I mean, I'm not sure Nick Novak's a guy I'd bank on hitting from 50 here. Whoa! Dude came unblocked and Novak was lucky to get it off. That's probably it. And that's definitely it. (Chargers 19, Colts 9)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4: 
1. Denver (6-0) - Either learned or taught a lesson in respect
2. Kansas City (6-0) - Yes, they've already blown past last year's win total
3. Seattle (5-1) - Pacific Northwest strangeness
4. New Orleans (5-1) - Blew that one

BOTTOM 4:
29. Minnesota (1-4) - Falling off the cliff fast
30. Tampa Bay (0-5) - This organization needs to be quarantined
31. N.Y. Giants (0-6) - Hard to win games when nobody's playing well
32. Jacksonville (0-6) - No moral victories


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)